With trash in gutters, graffiti on walls and extras in punk chic, San Francisco dresses up as New York for the filming of 'Rent' Ruthe Stein, Chronicle Senior Movie Writer

Monday, April 4, 2005

The stars of "Rent," including Rosario Dawson and Adam Pascal, along with a couple hundred local extras, rode herd over the last genuinely seedy streets of San Francisco for three days. Director Chris Columbus oversaw the mayhem in his usual low-key manner. When someone from the crew brought over a plastic bag filled with noisemakers for his approval, he distributed them to the extras himself.

Movie Director Chris Columbus is back in the Bay Area shooting his latest project, a film version of the Broadway hit musical, RENT. Choreographer for the film is Keith Young. When Young needed hot dancers for a Tango "dream sequence", he turned to a pair of ballet dancers from Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley... Karen Gabay and Raymond Rodriguez.

Karen and Raymond have a long relationship with the choreographer. The pair danced in the opening sequence of the Drew Carey Show some years ago which Young created, and Raymond did a pas de deux of Keith's in a tribute to Christopher Reeves recently. Keith is also planning a special pas de deux for Karen's 25th Anniversary Gala in Cleveland this summer with "Pointe of Departure", Karen and Ray's new dance venture in the Ohio city where both started their professional careers.

Dance rehearsals began nearly a week before Karen and Raymond could break away from their current project, the final performances of Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley's 2004-05 season. But Young knew what they could do, so he met privately with them in San Jose over a recent weekend, brought them in for the final 2 days of rehearsal on Treasure Island last Wednesday and Thursday (April 20 and 21) and shot the sequence in an all nighter at a deserted train station in Oakland on Friday, April 22. Fourteen hours later, and the Tango was "in the can."

Says Gabay, "it was intense. We danced full out the whole night...over and over again. I was in a little Tango dress with bare arms and legs and 3" heels and it was freezing cold. So I guess it was better to just keep dancing. At least Ray was in a suit. But what fun. It is going to be a wonderful sequence. We love working with Keith."

RENT is scheduled for a holiday season release.

Currently on stage:
Karen is reprising the role of "The Pupil" in Flemming Flindt's dramatic ballet, THE LESSON in Ballet San Joses' "A GRAND FINALE" , May 5-8 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. She last danced the role for Flemming in 1990. (Note: THE LESSON contains mature themes.)

Raymond is Ballet San Jose's Régisseur and is working closely with Flemming as he sets the piece for the Company.

Also on that repertory program are Dennis Nahat's SOME TIMES and MOMENTS and the pas de deux, "Diana and Acteon" from LA ESMERALDA.

Tickets: (408) 288-2800 or go directly to the Ballets' TicketMaster site to purchase on-line.

Is it really only 10 years since this feast of cheese was regarded as radical? Any smudge of youthful danger that Rent might once have had has been polished off by its director, Chris Columbus - the avant-garde auteur behind Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum